Layered two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) arrays of particles are now being used in the production and manufacture of many different items. An example of a device using such layered arrays is a 3D printer. The term 3D printer is a general term which includes devices which perform additive and/or subtractive manufacturing
Currently, 2D and 3D devices do not print or produce layers atom-by-atom or particle-by-particle. Instead, to place particles onto a substrate or an existing layer, current devices and methods simply bombard the surface with particles and then analyze the surface to determine if anything has stuck to the surface of the substrate or existing layer. With current 2D/3D devices and methods, there is no way to control where particles actually go, nor do current 2D/3D devices and methods control how many particles are placed on the substrate or layer.
Frequently, graphene is used for layers for 3D printing. Graphene is an allotrope of carbon. Its structure is one-atom thick planar sheets of sp2-bonded carbon atoms that are densely packed in a honeycomb lattice. In many cases, honeycomb lattice imperfections due to manufacturing defects may cause issues in the production and manufacturing of 2D and 3D structures.
There are advantages to removing carbon atoms, leaving “holes” in a graphene sheet. Currently, this can be achieved using several different mechanisms including mechanical breakage of the carbon-carbon bond using an STM tip, using a photonic crystal, or an ion or proton beam. Current devices, however, do not have an aiming capability, and particles are simply bombarded onto the graphene. In addition, current devices can crash or plunge into the graphene and destroy the surface area of the graphene and/or destroy the device.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device that can be controlled and aimed at a specific location or particle in a substrate, layer, 2D, or 3D structure. There is also a need for a device and a method for preparing one or more layers of particles on a particle-by-particle basis.